1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the production of linked food products, and more specifically to conveyor equipment for conveying linked food products, such as hot dogs or sausages, output from a linker that makes the linked food product.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the production of linked food products, such as hot dogs or sausages, it is well known to utilize conveyors to convey the food product to different points in the production process. Typically, a conventional sausage making machine or “linker” makes linked sausage or hot dog chains. For example, the linker pumps a filling comprising, e.g., meat or other proteinaceous food products, along with flavorings and other ingredients into an elongated casing, which is pinched and/or twisted at regular intervals to form individual links and then delivered through a horn.
At a loading station, hooks suspended from a moving conveyor chain are positioned to receive the links output from the horn. Once loaded, the links are carried by the conveyor to another location. The links are removed from the conveyor at an unloading station. In a typical conveyor, any conveyor stoppages at the unloading station to unload a given sausage chain also stops the conveyor at the loading station. Thus, the operation of the linker is stopped. For example, the linker would have to stop outputting a sausage chain temporarily or produce a sausage chain during periods of continuous conveyor movement. Even though delays resulting from conveyor stoppages at the unloading station are short, they result in a great inefficiency at the linker over time. Therefore, it is desired to minimize stoppage times at the unloading station.
Additionally, at the conventional linker, once a particular elongated casing is filled and output to the conveyor, the loaded chain is “tied off” at its ends to prevent filling from leaking out of the end of the casing. Movement of the conveyor is typically stopped to tie off the casing, which may take an operator several seconds. During interruption of the conveyor movement, the loaded sausage chain is delayed from being conveyed to other portions of the production cycle. With sausage making machines that can fill a 140-foot casing in about 25 seconds, this stoppage occurs frequently and results in inefficiency in the conveyor output.
Accordingly, there is a need for a conveyor system that will more efficiently load, convey and unload linked food products.